I'm on wits end right now. Went out to drive the XJ today, and it wouldn't start. All the lights came on, stereo turned on, then I went to start and all I got was a single click, and everything shut off.

Took the battery to get it charged, put it back in the Jeep, and now nothing turns on. No lights, no stereo, nothing. Decided to jump it, and everything comes back to life, and it starts just fine.

Drive down the road, "Check Gauges" comes on, and my voltage is at 19. Get home, park it, try to start again, and same issue.

Go to try again, and I notice all of my electrical things are on inside the Jeep, when I'm outside and the keys are in my pocket. I open the door and everything shuts off. ( I later checked the pressure switches and they were working fine. )

Hook up to friend's car, try to jump it, all the electrical stuff comes back on, and the Jeep has the hardest time starting. The starter cranks extremely slow, and everything dims. I had to give it gas for it to finally come to life.

Drive it around block, park it. Immediately try to start it, and nothing electrical works, and I can't even try to start it.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm trying to be as detailed as I can.

 

Possibly the starter when the solinoid starts going out it will cause the no start and the issues you have.

 

Would it be draining my battery? Do you think that's why it had such a hard time when I tried to jump it?

 

Yes it would and it would also cause things wanting to stay on with the key out if it's sticking open.

 

As long as all wiring is in good condition, the only way a bad starter solenoid could drain a battery is if it was stuck in the open position. This would mean that the starter motor would be constantly "running", or at least trying to. I would consider this an unlikely scenario. I would consider starting with the basics, though I do understand your frustration and urgency. Are your battery terminals clean? Has your battery been tested?

 

Yes, terminals have been cleaned. And the battery is six months old, and under warranty. When I took it in today, they charged it and tested it, and they told me it's in perfect condition.

I do want to say thanks to the two of you though, I really appreciate it.

 

The outside with keys in hand and the accessories being on points to a short in the starter or the ignition.

 

Pull your ignition switch and have a look at the plug. If it's showing signs of running hot, it's likely your problem. Or a big part of it.
Do you have acess to a DVM? What is your battery voltage with everything off, and with the engine idling?

 

Have you done a complete ground freshening? Not just battery posts & terminals. So far I see:

- Voltage measured as 19+
- Battery not charging
- Electrical systems not working at all

Poor grounds easily tie these together and are a common problem. Cruiser54 has a nice writeup that's targetted at Renixes but works on other years too.

 

Well I got it fixed. I'm sure it was a ground issue, but I replaced the battery cables, and the ground wires. After that, started right up like a champ. Thanks everyone for your help, I really do appreciate it.